


Side Effects Of A Heat Stroke

by Lokisgame



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-21
Updated: 2018-06-03
Packaged: 2019-02-05 03:11:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12785685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lokisgame/pseuds/Lokisgame
Summary: Scully answered the door without as much as a glance through the peep hole, the time, Saturday night, it could only be Mulder.“What’s wrong” she asked as he swayed holding on to the door frame. He didn’t smell of alcohol, nor a long run, still he was sweating and shivering like mad.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a prompt on tumblr from mulders-boyish-enthousiasm  
>  _Sweaty puppy Mulder shows up at Scully's door late at night. How does she respond?_

Scully answered the door without as much as a glance through the peep hole, the time, Saturday night, it could only be Mulder.  
“What’s wrong” she asked as he swayed holding on to the door frame. He didn’t smell of alcohol, nor a long run, still he was sweating and shivering like mad.  
“I don’t know” he let himself be pulled inside, over to the couch, her hands doing doctor-like things, but just to know he wasn’t alone already made him better, calm “I can’t stop shivering, my head hurts and I threw up two times already”  
“It’s not flu season” she looked into each of his eyes, he followed her finger “did you hurt your head?”  
“No, but I’ve been at my mother’s earlier, she made me mow the lawn”  
“Mulder, it was like 100 degrees out today”  
“Yeah, it was hard not to notice”  
She sighed, almost relieved and reached for the hem of his t-shirt.  
“C’mon, let’s get you undressed” she tried to pull the shirt up, but he didn’t move to help, making her look up and notice the slight sunburn on his face, she straightened and explained “it’s most likely a mild heat stroke, I’ll draw you a bath”  
Still looking uncomfortable he did as told and pulled the t-shirt over his head. She left him to it and went to the bathroom, to fill the tub with cool but not cold water, skipping the bubbles. When Mulder came in, still in his underwear, she was sitting on the edge, stirring the water. More sunburned skin, his shoulders looked Marlboro red.  
“The water’s ready, no need to be modest” leaving the towels within easy reach she turned to leave “I’ll see if I have anything for sunburns, don’t lock the door and call me if you feel faint again”  
“I will” he nodded, and if she’d look back she’d see he didn’t want her to leave. 

The water was splashing in the bathroom as she rummaged through her other medicine cabinet. She found the spray for burns and poured a large glass of water, then went back to her patient.  
“May I?” She knocked without waiting for an answer, in full doctor mode now. Mulder sat curled up in the middle of the tub, shivering.  
“This is a bad idea Scully” he said, teeth chattering.  
“No it’s not, lay down " laying a towel on the floor she sat where his head should be "try to relax”  
He followed her touch, pulling him back by the arm, careful to avoid the worst of the burn. He did lose the underwear, but she tried no to dwell on it as she gave him the glass of water.  
“You want me to drink while taking a bath?”  
“You need to rehydrate, drink up” he did.  
She wetted a washcloth and took the glass from him, then covered his forehead with the cool fabric. His shivering subsiding, breath a little rugged, but that too was starting to calm down.  
“This feels nice” he sighed, eyes closed, knees bent, arms folded over his chest, tall enough that the chance he’s go under were minimal. Scully said nothing, but soaked a sponge and squeezed water over his shoulder, first one side, then the other. Wherever there was skin above water, she was there to cool it down, her touch soothing like a balm.  
“You’re staying here tonight” she said, and he never dared to argue with his doctor’s orders.  
They didn’t talk much after that, she changed his compress, washed his back, Mulder did his best not to fall asleep or drown. It took 20 minutes for him to feel well enough to come out. She handed him a towel and went to put fresh sheets on her bed, the cool ones she washed earlier that day.

“You don’t mind me like this?” He asked standing in the middle of her living room, again wearing nothing but his underwear.  
“Of course not” she assured, handing him two aspirins which he chased down with another glass of water “come to bed”  
Mulder didn’t dare to speak, only nodded.  
The sheets were heaven when he sat on the edge of her turned down bed, running his hand over them, stunned into silence. Each moment felt more like a dream, a fever dream of heaven in a Georgetown apartment. She climbed into bed behind him and he heard clinking of a spray can, its' shaken up contents.  
“This will feel a little cold” Scully warned and a second later a sheet of cold foam covered his shoulders. The can hissed for a long moment, bringing relief wherever it went. Small hand turned him to face her and he let her rub some foam onto his nose and forehead. Her touch felt wonderful, precise but tender, making his eyes closed on their own, sleep taking place of pain. He never noticed, when she leaned in, only brush of a kiss over his lips.  
“Go to sleep, Mulder” she said softly, and he didn’t fight it.  
The sheets were cool, her presence warm beside him. Outside the wide open windows summer crickets ruled the city night around them.


	2. Chapter 2

The water she made him drink woke Mulder sometime in the night. The air outside cooled down, his head stopped hurting, the burn lost its’ bite. He went back to bed and pulled the sheets over both of them, letting sleep take him back.  
Scully shifted and opened one eye to a faint pink sunrise and Mulder fast asleep by her side. Sheets half uncovering his back, the vicious red already fading. Pulling the sheet up and breathing in the dewy air, she fell back asleep.

She woke up a few hours later to another perfectly sunny morning and one glance to her side made it even brighter.  
“Hi” Mulder was hugging a pillow and watching her, smiling.  
“Hi” she said, turning on her side “how are you feeling”  
“Better” her gentle hand on his shoulder did‘t hurt anymore “thank you for taking care of me”  
“Always" she assured him but retreated her hand, no more reason to touch him now that the criss was over.  
“Any plans for today?” he asked, making no move to get up, as if this was Sunday like any other.  
“Not really, my mom might be dropping by for lunch” the smile stayed on his lips but slipped from his eyes “you wanna stay for lunch?”  
“Only if you let me make breakfast”  
“A real breakfast?” she teased as he too rolled to his side, facing her, taking back her palm in both of his hands and pulling it to his side of the bed, playing with her fingers.  
“Yeah, whatever you like"  
"You can cook Mulder?” she sure hoped it didn’t involve getting dressed and going out.  
“Cooking isn’t the problem” he pressed a kiss to her knuckles, something he didn’t do in a while “it’s the cooking for one.”  
“Alright” trying not to dwell on deeper meanings for now, she smiled and her words brought back the smile into his eyes.  
“Can I ask one more favor though?” the shy question raised her eyebrow “Can I borrow a razor?”  
“Mulder” her exasperated tone turned into laugh as he put his chin in her hand and rubbed it with the sand-papery beginnings of a quite scratchy beard.  
“It’s Sunday, your mom’s coming, probably straight from church, I should look decent”  
“You look fine” she sighed but didn’t take back her hand, now cupping his cheek.  
“Please”  
“If it makes you feel better” a smile beneath her palm was something special.  
“It will”  
“Fine”

Scully found an old white buttoned down shirt in her closet, probably still remembering the time of her cancer. It landed in the washer with a load of white laundry and his last nights t-shirt. In the meantime shirtless Mulder busied himself around the stove, making pancakes and frying bacon and burning toast to her endless enjoyment.  
“You’re too slow Mulder” she giggled, as he couldn’t keep up with flipping the pancakes. She slipped the ready one’s to a waiting plate and poured another batch of batter into the sizzling pan.  
“I said I’ll cook, didn’t say I won’t need help” a little defensive but still smiling, he kept an eye on the bacon and toast.  
“I am helping, aren’t I?” she flipped the switch on her coffeemaker and smiled triumphantly “I’m making coffee”  
“Anyone can do that” Mulder chuckled and turned over the bacon.  
“If you burn the toast we’ll never get rid of the stench” she warned, rummaging through the freezer, registering the smell.  
“It won’t burn, I know what I’m doing” he pushed the bread back into toaster for a few more seconds.  
“You sure?” somewhere behind him something heavy thumped on the counter.  
“Ever the sceptic” he took a notch from the toaster setting just in case, no point in messing with his hostess.  
“Hand me those” Scully gestured for pack of six sunny yellow lemons that rested on his side of the counter.  
“You’re making a lemon pie?” he asked reaching behind without looking.  
"You’ll see" he heard the water run, heavy knife hitting the cutting board.  
“Can’t look, need to watch the bacon, spill” the curiosity growing.  
“Interesting choice of words” Scully laughed and then a loud crash that could knock down the pictures from the walls made him jump.  
“Jesus, warn before you try to give me a heart attack” he sighed and finally turned around.  
“Sorry, ice won’t come out” she explained and he noticed the jug of tea, lemons, some cut in slices some in half, and the ice, now spilled on the counter.  
“You’re kidding” his heart filled with warmth and he took a step towards her.  
“No, making ice tea” she explained still with her back to him, dumping the lemon slices into the cooling tea.  
"C'mere" he said and with one hand on her waist pulled her close, chancing a brief kiss on her cheek and smelling the lemons, as she awkwardly tried to return the hug without touching him with wet hands. He could only hope, she would one day understand how much the small things she did meant, but for now he settled for whispering “you’re the best friend in the world”  
“You’re exaggerating” she smiled a little doubtfully, but let him hold her a second longer, before warning “and burning the bacon”  
“Damn, sorry” he let go in double time and switched off the burner under the pan. She filled a glass and turned to him, now her arm around his middle, as he set the last slices on the parchment.  
“Actually, I like it this way” resting her cheek on his arm she felt him relax.  
The pan set aside and bacon moved to a plate, her hand on his hip could cure all insecurities. She handed him the glass and taking a tentative sip at fist, then a regular gulp Mulder sighed, immensely pleased.  
“Couldn’t you tell me earlier?”  
“And miss all the fun” Scully picked a crispy slice between two fingers and ate it whole in two bites.  
“Not too sweet” he mentioned, gesturing with the glass “you know what I like”  
“With the amount of cholesterol in this” she said around the crunchy goodness “we might at least keep the sugar in check”  
“Sure, fine” rolling his eyes playfully he skipped the comment about her nutrition gods spoiling the fun.  
They set the table, warm food and coffee, cold ice tea and juice, sweet fruit and soft butter, jam and maple sirup, best friends and laughter.

They cleaned together after, radio playing some cheerful classics in the background. He coaxed a few stories of her childhood from her, a few favorite places, sharing some of his own fond memories, few as they were. By that time they moved to the couch, sun was trying to peek through the drawn curtains. The conversation slowed to a companionable lazy random thought contest.  
Around noon Scully left him on the couch, dozing under a magazine he picked from the forgotten pile on her coffee table and making her wish, she had film in her camera.  
Before the time Maggie was expected, they looked more than decent. Mulder in jeans, a white shirt with rolled up sleeves, Scully in soft, cotton, powder blue dress flowing over her curves like water. Anyone who didn’t know better, would take them for a couple, some who did, probably would as well. They almost felt it themselves, simmering in the humid air.

Maggie, who always wished them only the best, seeing Dana answering the door and Fox mixing salad in the kitchen, decided to take good things with no questions asked. She hugged and kissed them both, as a mother would greet her happiest children.


	3. Chapter 3

The light outside changed from glaring white to soft peach. Clouds that gathered all day rose high, wind tugging at curtains in wide open windows. It was almost 5pm and Maggie decided it was time to call it a day.  
“Food was wonderful, Dana.” She said again by the door, hugging her daughter and kissing her cheek before reaching for Mulder to close the two step distance between them.  
“Fox, I hope to see you like this more often.”  
“Mom!” Scully exclaimed as if she said something inappropriate.  
“Me too,” Mulder chuckled and they let go, his arm going straight to the small of Scully's back, "as often as I’m invited, of course.” He added looking down, meeting her gaze and smile.  
“As if you ever needed an invitation,” she teased, arm around his waist in return.  
"I'm only trying to be polite."  
Maggie watched them banter the whole afternoon and realized that, even when they weren’t actively saving each other’s lives, they worked quite well together. They had the pull-give routine mastered better than most married couples. Dana’s stubbornness pillowed by his easy manner, his crazy ideas grounded by her reason and patience. They met somewhere in the middle, in almost perfect balance, completely taking it for granted.  
"I should get going," she said bringing them back "take care of yourselves and each other." Mulder could feel Scully roll her eyes, so he took charge for once, "we will."  
As he closed the doors after Maggie, Scully went to draw back the curtains. The air felt cooler than expected, backing heat losing it's bite.  
"I should get going too," he said halfheartedly and lying completely. Nothing waited for him at home, no one to talk to, no one to hold.  
Scully ignored him, "you wanna go for a walk?" Mulder looked at her, puzzled. "It looks like it's nicer outside than it is in here." She explained.  
"Sure, why not." 

Afternoon sun made the trees and buildings cast long shadows, so they stayed on shaded side of the street, watching the sky, the clouds changing.  
Scully thanked God for straps and flowing skirts, the only way to survive summer in the city. The relief of feeling the breeze on bare skin.  
Mulder chanced more than an occasional glance at her, palms itching to take her hand. He couldn’t take his eyes of her ever since she changed, her skin, the light dusting of freckles. She carried herself a little differently as well, still alert and present, but slowed down, taking in the day as it unfolded without a solid plan. This was Scully for friends and family, one he wouldn’t mind seeing more often, if she allowed it.  
Focused on her, he never noticed the sun hiding behind the clouds, so when she jumped, he jumped with her. Scully touched her shoulder then reached out one hand, palm up.  
“Did you feel that?” only then, Mulder noticed the wet polkadots staining the sidewalk. “Think we’re gonna make it back?”  
“I don’t know.” He replied and she smiled as if she didn’t mind either way.  
The air smelled of rain on concrete, cool raindrops on skin, each one like a welcome kiss. Scully kept looking up, marveling at the feeling.  
A rumble in the distance, could be thunder, could be a truck. Mulder found her hand.  
The rain came harder and they glanced at each other, smiling, ready for anything, walking two more blocks before the sky opened above.  
Water splashing under their feet, they ran, hands twined, through empty streets. Her dress soaked through, as was his white shirt. Between the hair falling into her eyes and the pelting rain, Scully barely saw where they were going; for once laughing at the phrase _‘following blindly'_.  
Pulled to the side, she almost tripped over the three steps he made her climb. A nook hiding the door to some old apartment building, not much but at least it was dry.  
Mulder pushed her up, away from the rain, shielding her with his body as much as he could, helping to brush away wet strands from her face.  
“Just our luck,” he wiped his face on the wet sleeve.  
Scully gently traced her fingertips over his brow, musing out loud, “not a trace.”  
“Trace of what?” He asked, charmed by her unexpected tenderness.  
“Sunburn,” she explained, playfully booping the tip of his nose.  
Hands in pockets, Mulder chuckled, wanting a little too much to hold her. “It's always been like this, I heal fast.”  
“Not me,” she leaned against the wall, seeming content to look down at him for once, "I'd be red as a lobster for a week."  
“Really?” He mirrored her stance looking up, and saw her shiver. “Are you cold?”  
“It’s the rain, it’s nothing.” Taking one step up, again eye level with her, he freed one hand, reached for her. “Really Mulder, I’m fine.”  
The words pushed him back, hand falling with his eyes, it was too good to last. Cold rain hit him as he took a step down.  
“Hey, come here,” gently tugging on his shirt she pulled him back, one step up and out of the rain. “I don’t want you to catch cold.”  
Her arms around his neck made him bold. “Then you’ll have to keep me warm.” He risked putting his hands on her hips, then around her waist. She drew him closer, lips parted, their eyes locked on each other. They never noticed the flash of lightning, so she jumped when thunder crashed above them.  
“I've got you,” Mulder whispered and closed the distance. Lips meeting messily, fist tastes of softness, open and waiting. Scully kissed him back, eagerly melting into his arms, catching his lower lip and once he felt the tip of her tongue, he was gone.  
He pushed her against the wall, her arms tight around him, fingers in his hair, body pressed into his, each line and curve trembling. She slowed down, roller her hips against his. Mulder gasped, breaking the kiss suddenly. “Slow down!”  
She looked at him, picture of innocence, and done it again. “Wicked creature," he teased and their lips met again, slower this time, exploring, learning, hands risking tentative roaming. Palm on her ass made them both shiver, she felt him grow hard.  
"Who's wicked now?" She drew back, looking at him with new yet familiar eyes. The goofy grin reaching his eyes, swollen lips, ready to steal her breath again, any moment now.  
"Why now?" he asked, quiet wonder in his tone.  
"I don't know." She rested her forehead against his, the storm was slowing to a steady hum of rain against sidewalk. "Because we're not being chased or fired. Because we're not dying, because it's summer and your shirt hangs in my closet."  
"Because I love you?" He asked, pouring all the need and promise into the easiest and hardest three words he'd ever spoken.  
"Yeah," she kissed him, soft and slow, "because I love you."


End file.
